The world of dinosaurs fascinates young and old, above all thanks to the remarkable discoveries that follow one another year after year, bringing to light more and more news of their incredible kingdom. Now, in new research published on the pages of PeerJ, Elías Warshaw and Denver Fowler report the discovery of a new species of tyrannosaurus.
We must first of all remember how i tyrannosauridsthe family of dinosaurs to which the famous also belongs T-Rexdespite having been known for over a century in both North America and Asia, they have a evolutionary history with many details still unclear and which have sparked numerous debates.
Since the 1990s, these discussions have also affected the Daspletosaurusa large tyrannosaurid found in areas of Montana and Alberta, which has been proposed to be a ancestor of the same Tyrannosaurus rex.
Warshaw and Fowler claim to have found just one a new species of Daspletosaurus from Montana: the Daspletosaurus wilsoni. Unearthed among rocks that were intermediate in age between other tyrannosaurs found in the same region.
The new” sauropsis show a mixture of characteristics found in older tyrannosaurs from even older rocks, such as a prominent series of knobs around the eyes, as well as other features known to be typical of later species (including the T-Rex).
The Daspletosaurus wilsonitherefore, is identifiable as a true “trade union” or “missing link” between older species of tyrannosaurs and their more recent counterparts. This discovery therefore shows that the different species of Daspletosaurus they have a single evolutionary lineage, supporting the lineage of the known Tyrannosaurus rex from this very group.
The name of this new species it means “Wilson’s Creepy Reptile”and is named after John “Jack” P. Wilson, who discovered the first original specimen, in Valley County in northeastern Montana, and now in the federal vault of the Badlands Dinosaur Museum, North Dakota.
Speaking of dinosaurs, do you know that, according to a study, T-Rex were perhaps bigger than expected? Certainly tyrannosaurs were tireless walkers.
Image credits: Andrey Atuchin & Badlands Dinosaur Museum
